Each day, hundreds of people cross into Tunisia from Libya. They arrive at a transit camp near the border. Credit: OCHA/David Ohana

On 14 March, the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) for Libya, Mr. Rashid Khalikov, visited the town of Az Zawiyah. He noted the heavy military presence and observed that more than 24 buildings in the centre of Az Zawiyah have been destroyed. The majority of shops were closed. There was no noticeable commercial activity and no women or children in the streets.

The HC observed that the presence of Africans stranded around Tripoli airport has increased over the past few days. They occupy an area of approximately 1 km2.

On 14 March, the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Libya, Mr. Abdel-Ilah Al-Khatib, arrived with his delegation in Tripoli. In a meeting with Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, Mr. Al-Khatib reiterated the calls by the Secretary-General and the Security Council for an immediate end to the violence. He called for cooperation from the authorities on human rights and humanitarian concerns. He also requested that the Libyan Government allow unfettered access to all relevant United Nations agencies in order to assist the Libyan people and alleviate the suffering of those affected.

On 14 March, the Bangladeshi Deputy Foreign Minister visited Choucha camp in Tunisia. He stated that prior to the conflict there were some 60,000 Bangladeshi nationals in Libya. He estimated that 15,000-20,000 of those people currently remain in the country.